Blow out preventer



NOV- 17, 1931.

G. G. HARRINGTON BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed Oct. 27. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l zij y Geoff@ Ci Harrmyon,

IN VEN TOR,

BY u

WW/f@ ATTORNEY Nov. 17, 1931. GG. HARRINGTON 1,831,956

BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed Oct. 27, 1930 2 She-ets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-#ICE GEORGE G.AHARRINGTON, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TOREED ROLLER BIT GOI- PANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS BLOW OUT PREVENTER Application led October 27, 1930. Serial No. 491,837.

This invention relates to blowout preventers.

In deepwell drilling, high fluid pressures a re frequently encountered which cause a rush and escape of fluid upwardly through the conventional casing about the drill stem; and at times such pressures are sulliciently great to blow the drill stem out of the casing, the disastrous consequences of which are well known to those skilled in the art.

' This invention has for its general object the provision of a new and improved blow out preventer adapted to prevent the foregoing, which may be quickly and easily inwhile the drill stein is rotated and lowered in the casing to penetrate the formation therebelow.

Other specific objects will hereinafter apiear.

l The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the assembled'elements, partly in section, taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation'of the assembled elements; and Fig.

3, an elevation of the packing means on the stern about to be lowered into the bowl, the

u latter of which is shown in section.

30 The bowl 1, mounted on the casing 2, has internal interrupted threads 3. Mounted `upon the side of the bowl as indicated at 4 is the worm 31.

i The packing means comprises a locking sleeve 5 having external interrupted threads 6 to engage the interrupted threads 3 of the bowl 1, and peripheral teeth 7 tobe engaged by the worm 31. Rotatably secured within the locking ring 5 is the packing ring 8, and

within the packing ring 8 is the packing 9.

The kelly of the drill stem, that is, that section adapted to be engaged by the rotary (not shown) to effect rotation of the drill stem,

is indicated at 10.

The locking sleeve 5 has an internal annular flange 11 and on the packing sleeve 8 is a raceway 'ring 12 held in place by the threaded retaining ring 13. Between the flange 11 and raceway ring 12, are the balls 50 14 whereby the upward thrust on the packstalled and removed, and which may be used ing sleeve 8 and also the lateral thrust of said sleeve are sustained.

The locking sleeve 8 has an external annular flange 15. The packing sleeve 5 has an internal annular shoulder 16 to support a raceway ring 17. Between the flange 15 and raceway ring 17 are`the balls 18 whereby the downward and lateral thrusts of the packing sleeve 5. are sustained.

To seal the space between the sleeves 5 and 8, a packing 19 may be placed upon the flange 11 and compressed by a threaded ring 20. To prevent the escape of grease placed about the ball bearings, suitable gaskets 2l may be placed, as shown.

Thepacking sleeve 8 has an internal annular flange 22, and upon this flange rests a floating ring 23 beneath the packing 9. Extending'into the packintg sleeve 8 above the packing 9. is the gland 24 having openings 25 there- 1n in which the bolts 26 loosely fit. The gland 24. is free to moye downwardly to compress the packing an is positively held against movement awa from the packing by the nuts 27.

The blow out preventer may be used as follows:

The packing means having been placed upon the kelly 10, and the drill pipe 28 (F ig. 3) having been connected to the kelly 10, the packing means is permitted to slide. downwardly on the kelly 10 until-the floating ring 23 rests upon the collar 29, the downward movement of the packing means on the drill stern being thereby arrested. The drill stem is then lowered' in the casing 2 until the locking sleeve 5 rests upon the internal shoulder formed by the reduction of the lower end of the bowl 6. The worml is then rotated to effect engagement of the external interrupted threads 6 of the locking sleeve 5 and the internal interrupted threads 3 of of the bowl 1.- Only a quarte-r turn of the locking sleeve 5 in the bowl 1 isv necessary to effect this engagement, and the packing means is thereby securely locked in the bowl 1 as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The drill stem may then be rotated.

The packing sleeve 8 rotates with the kelly 10 and within the locking sleeve 5. The kelly signed to lit a substantially square kelly.

Aa packing sleeve onsaid stem i secured wfithin said locking 10 is slidable in the packing sleeve 8. And so the blow out preventer is in place and functioning to prevent, blow outs while the drill stem is rotated and lowered inthe casing to penetrate the formation therebelow. If fluid under pressure is encountered, it w1ll rise upwardly between the drill stem and the casing and force the ring 23 upwardly to compress the packing 9 which will prevent its escape. If the pressure is suiiiciently. great to elevate the drill stem in the casing, the collar 29 will strike the ring 23 and compress the packing, and the drill stem cannot escape from the casing because it will be held in the packing sleeve 8 by the4 gland 24. v

The packing 9 may also be compressed at any time by tightening the nuts 27 of the bolts 26, and if desired a suitable clamp 30 may be secured to the kelly 10 to engage the gland 24 when the stem is lowered to force said gland downwardly and compress the packingy 9, whereupon the nuts 27 may be tightened. v

The packing means herein disclosed is de- Only a slight modication thereof, easily made by a skilled mechanic, is necessary to make it fit kellys of other shapes, and circular pipes..

Many advantages of this invention other than that hereinabove described will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention is not limited tothe preferred embodiment shown. Various changes may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

v 1. The combination with a casing and a stem, of a bowl mounted on said casing and having internal interrupted threads; packing means on said stem and slidable into and out of said bowl,` said means comprising a locking sleeve having external interrupted Alocking sleeve having external interru lted threads to engage the threads of saidowl and teeth to be en aged by said worm, a packing sleeve on sald stem and rotatably secured within said locking sleeve, ball bearings between said sleeves, a packing within 'said packing sleeve, a floating ring below and movable upwardly to compress said packing, a gland above andmovable downwardly to compress said packing, and adjustable means to positively limit the movement of said gland away from said packing and to cause said gland to compress said packing. 4. Thecombination with a casing and a stem, of packing means comprising a locking sleeve releasably locked in said casing, a packing sleeve rotatably secured within said locking sleeve, two sets of ball bearings between said sleeves, one of said sets serving to sustain the upward thrust on said packing sleeve, and the other of said sets serving to sustain the downward thrust on said packing sleeve, and'a packing ring between said sleeves and between said sets of bearings.-

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

' GEORGE G. HARRNGTON.

threadsto engage the threads of said bowl,

and rotatably sleeve, and a sleeve.

packing within said packing a `casing and a 2. The combination with stem, of a bowl mounted on said casing and having internal interrupted threads; packing means slidable onfsaid-stem'and slidable into and out of said bowl, said means comrotatably prising a locking sleeve having external interrupted threads to engage the threads of said bowl, a packing sleeve on said stem and secured within said locking sleeve, a packing within said packing sleeve, a floating ring below and movable to compress said packing, and a gland aboveand movable to compress said packing.

3. In deep well apparatus, the combination with a casing anda stem, of a bowl mounted on' said casing and having internal interrupted threadsand a wormgpacking means slidable on said stem' and slidable into and out of said bowl, said means comprising a. 

